Duke rolls into ACC Championship against Florida State - Part 1

December 03, 2013|Reuters

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The ACC has so desperately wanted a team to reach the top again in college football. So on the day that the path was paved to make Florida State the nation's No. 1 team, that part of the story was almost pale compared to what Duke has done.

The Blue Devils, believe it or not, are headed to the ACC championship game for the first time.

Florida State is on the national radar, but Duke might be the darlings of the whole country. The Blue Devils have struggled for most of the past two decades, enduring winless seasons and eliminated from bowl pictures by mid-October.

"We just keep on going to the next thing," senior cornerback Ross Cockrell said. "We enjoy what we are doing, but the job isn't done."

So often for the past two decades, by the last day of November the next thing for the Blue Devils is the offseason.

Duke is unbeaten in five road games. It has been more than two months since it has lost a game.

"It's not even real," Duke tight end Braxton Deaver said. "I don't know when we're going to come down from Cloud Nine. I couldn't dream how incredible this has been."

Duke will have its toughest test against Florida State. The Seminoles must win to stay on track for a national championship, so that will be the overriding story in the ACC championship game.

Even so, it has been a storybook season for Duke, which has secured the first 10-win season in the program's history.

BOSTON COLLEGE (7-5, 4-4)

Game: Syracuse 34, Boston College 31. The Orange scored the winning points on QB Terrel Hunt's 8-yard pass to TE Josh Parris with six seconds remaining, spoiling the regular-season finale for Boston College. The Eagles were hurt by the first-half loss of star RB Andre Williams, who exited with a shoulder injury after managing only 29 yards on nine carries.

Takeaway: The overriding story coming out of the regular-season finale was the status of RB Andre Williams, who watched from the sidelines after a first-half shoulder injury.

He was an emerging Heisman Trophy candidate by eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark in rushing. Those aspirations took a hit when he produced 29 yards before departing. He had a 26-yard touchdown run among his touches.

So Williams' availability for the postseason game is bound to be a big factor for the Eagles. On the encouraging side, they put up some decent offensive numbers against a pretty solid Syracuse defense despite the injury to Williams.

Still, it's clear that the Eagles don't want to rely on senior QB Chase Rettig for a lot of heavy lifting with the offense.

Boston College's defense has shown some holes during the final month of the season. Teams such as Syracuse that have shown some offensive limitations have been able to produce decent numbers against the Eagles.

Next: Awaiting bowl assignment.

CLEMSON (10-2, 7-1)

Game: South Carolina 31, Clemson 17. The Tigers, who committed six turnovers, suffered their fifth loss in a row to their in-state rivals and that spoiled what had been a splendid regular season. QB Tajh Boyd had a touchdown run, but he didn't throw a touchdown pass among his 19-for-27 passing.

Takeaway: The Tigers knew they would be in a battle after a series of lopsided results in their favor. Then they weren't up to the task against South Carolina.

Most alarming for Clemson is the fact that it had such trouble moving the ball. Even against South Carolina's highly regarded defense, the Tigers figured they could do better than 352 yards of total offense.

Clemson was in ideal situation to land in a BCS bowl, but thoughts of a major bowl spot might have dwindled. The Tigers are hoping that their 10-win credentials (not to mention strong fan base) is enough to put them in a big-time game.

Wherever they end up, the Tigers and QB Tajh Boyd will be eager to make amends for a frustrating night in Columbia, S.C.

Next: Awaiting bowl assignment.

DUKE (10-2, 6-2)

Game: Duke 27, North Carolina 25. The Blue Devils went ahead on K Ross Martin's 27-yard field goal with 2:22 remaining, then secured an interception to clinch the road victory and a spot in the ACC championship game. QB Anthony Boone completed 23-of-34 passes for 274 yards for Duke.

Takeaway: The Blue Devils are headed to the ACC championship game for the first time, rising from a projected last-place finish in the Coastal Division to win it.

Duke lost its first two ACC games, then reeled off two non-conference victories and six league triumphs.

The Blue Devils have shown a knack for late-game production. They've trailed in the second half of four of their last six games, but found ways to win.